The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-02-05
THE DELAWARE LEGISLATURE.
TaciiuHal Contests in Both Houses-Reform
Legislation Delayed.

Legislation Delayed.
DOVER, Del Feb. This is Il e fiftl
week OF the session of the General AS
ssm5ly OF Delaware. and beyond the in
amending OF charters nothing has beef
done except to fence for advantage by
the two Democratic factions which are
represented in that body. When the SEES
sion opened the friends of Senator Gray
claimed to have six OF the nine SENATOR
aud thirteen Of the twenty-one Repre-
Sentatlves. Mr.. Gray was elected by a
unanimous vote, but on the following
night his opponents, the Saul sburys anG
their candidates for State treasurer and
STATE auditor SIhce then the struggle
has been intensely bitter, equal to any.
thing that ever trar spired between the
Democrats and their Republican oppo.
uentS
The first struggle was over the legisla-
tive printing, i'll which the Gray forces
held the Senate by } 10 /, while the Sauls-
burys got the House by Is to S. revers-
lug the original figures exactly, and thus
secured the House printing for then
paper, the Dcl"tCnrc,tH.
Last night the factional contest as
>umed a new phase. senator John p.
Dorman, of Sussex county, whose cleo
ton had been openly opposed by ex-Gov.
Ponder, the brother-in-law of the Sauls-
uurys, was postmaster at Draw bridge in
tins county, which made him Ineligible
for IA seat in the General Assembly under
the provisions of the constitution. But
nobody thought of thus disqualification
IN his part until the necessities of the
case required the Saulsburys TO exhaust
every GueatS OF getting one moIe vote III
the Senate. For the past week they had
been working up the case. and were 90
ing to spring 1t tins morning, but Jane.
l.. Woleott, "A lawyer, OF Dover, who is
ambitious to succe ed Senator S4ulsbur.
III l>N9 discovered the little scheme, and
yesterday Dorman res gned his post
office. Next NouGott moved on the enc
mes line aud attacked the property
qualification of Senator Charles Ii. Nc
Whorter, Of tins city, who is the Sauls
bury wheelhOrse III the Senate
The constitution requires a State Sena
tor To have a freehold of 200 acres of land
III the county which he represents or have
personal property to the amount Of 'oue
Thousand pounds Constitution of 1892 }
aud New hOIter has ualJner. But he is
not alone Is tins short-comIng, and Nc
Whprter is going To look into the pro-
perty qualification of his associates OF
the Gray faction. Meanwhile Dorman S
case is to be pushed III the Senate, not
wlthstaniing his resi- guatlon.
Tue tactIOual light has DESTROYED nearly
all expectation of reform legislation
Gov. Biggs and the SauIsburys want d
constitutional convention called, and
Senator Martin, OF Sussex, a brother OF
ex RApresentative III Congress +. l.. Mar
TN, has introduced bill providing tor
such a convention. Tnls Is d new tack
for that element. as hithe, to they had al
ways contested the reform efforts of the
Bayard element III the party. Bat the
latter faction have also taken a new tack
and are opposing Il convention, but in
stead offer to amend the constitution by
Legislative enactment. The great major
ity ut the people are in favor of con
veution. aud the Gray olcott opposi
ton now ls merely putting the call for
such a body of until the Lext General
Assembly.